The Brazilian midfielder has played at clubs such as Lazio and Shakhtar Donetsk

Miami FC Staff | Jan 20, 2016

Miami FC announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Matuzalém Francelino da Silva on Wednesday. The former Serie A player will join Miami FC for its debut season bringing his pristine technique and skill to the field.

“Matuzalém has consistently delivered as a midfielder and teammate,” Miami FC head coach Alessandro Nesta said. “His career speaks for itself, and he has proven to be an exemplary player that will truly be an asset to this team.”

Within the first year of his career he helped the Brazil win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1997 and made the move to the Italian league two years later with a transfer to Parma, but made his debut on loan with S.S.C Napoli, which was then a Serie B team. Matuzalém was able to help the team reach the first division and racked up a total of 52 appearances.

The Brazilian midfielder bounced back and forth between Piacenza, Parma , and Brescia for the next few years. In 2001, Matuzalem made his way to Piacenza while under shared ownership with Parma and turned heads when he became the first foreigner to score for the team in the Serie A. He made a total of 28 appearances and notched three goals for the team over the season. The following year, he returned to Parma, but was soon loaned out to Brescia where he became a regular starter. In 2003, Matuzalem made the official transfer to Brescia where he totaled 60 appearances and netted three goals for the team.

In 2004, Matuzalém stepped away from the Italian leagues and quickly rose to the top of the Ukrainian Premier League as a midfielder with Shakhtar Donetsk. Two years later, he went on to become the captain for the 2006 – 2007 season and was voted the team’s Footballer of the Year in 2004 and shared the title with his teammate Anatoliy Tymoshchuk in 2005 and 2006. He went on to score 25 goals and 68 appearances with the Ukrainian side.

After a brief bit with La Liga’s Real Zaragoza, Matuzalém returned to Serie A, joining Lazio in 2008. During his first season with the team, he played a game-changing role that helped Lazio win its fifth Coppa Italia. The following year, he was a starting midfielder in the Supercoppa Italiana final and scored the opening goal which was crucial to Lazio’s victory.

Recently, Matuzalem has remained within the Italian leagues and played with Genoa, Bologna, and Hellas Verona over the past few years.

“I’m so thankful to work under the guidance of this phenomenal coaching staff and alongside this hard-working team,” Matuzalém said about joining the NASL club. “This is a welcome opportunity that l am very much looking forward to, and I’m excited to see what this new experience will bring.”